Living in relative's house for free? You can't later claim tenancy rights, Gujarat HC rules

NEW DELHI: The Gujarat high court has held that a person allowed to live in a relative's house out of goodwill, without paying rent, cannot later claim tenancy rights over the property. In its July 3 order, the court noted that oral claims cannot override what a signed agreement clearly says.What was the issueSawaisinh Devisingh Chauhan, a relative of house owner Yashwantsinh Mahansinh Rathod, was allowed to move into Rathod's house in Motera, Gandhinagar, in 2005. Chauhan was then working at Torrent Electricity Company and about to retire, and was looking for a place to stay. Out of family goodwill, Rathod let him live there for two years, rent-free, with the understanding that Chauhan would leave once he found another home of his own.